Ambala trade union leader killed at start of Bharat bandh

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Last Updated: Wed, Feb 20, 2013 05:24 hrs

New Delhi: A trade union leader was killed in Ambala in the wee hours as the two-day nationwide strike called by the 11 trade unions began today.

"Narender Singh, the treasurer of a AITUC union was stabbed to death near the Ambala bus stand by some miscreants who wanted to take out buses from the depot despite the strike," AITUC General Secretary Gurudas Dasgupta told PTI here.

Condemning the murder, Dasgupta said the strike would continue despite such a heinous attack.

However, other media reports reported that the employee was crushed to death by a bus owing to the confusion called over the strike. Chaos broke out when Haryana Roadways staff tried to stop officials from allowing the buses to move from the depot.

Narinder was crushed under the wheels of a bus and the bus driver escaped from the spot in this town, about 45 km from the state capital Chandigarh, reports said.

The accident led to violence with scores of outraged roadways staff and union leaders present at the spot. The vehicles of the district administration officers and police were damaged in the violence.

Haryana Roadways Workers Union's Ambala district president Inder Singh Bhadana said the body of the victim would not be cremated till the state government registered a case against senior police officials and the Haryana Roadways general manager for trying to forcibly ply buses.

Apart from unions owing allegiance to the Left, the pro-Congress INTUC and pro-BJP BMS are also participating in the strike.

The unions have put forward a charter of 10 demands such as urgent steps to control price rise, strict enforcement of labour laws in all places of work, social security net for workers in the unorganised sector, end to disinvestment in PSUs and raising minimum wage to Rs 10,000 a month.